Emile Durkheim in the Elementary

Emile Durkheim

In the Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, French sociologist Emile Durkheim studied the totetism of the Australian primitive clans. He recognized the social origin of religion and theorized that religion's purpose was to act as a means of solidarity and identification for societal members. Religion provided a meaning for life and strengthened the moral code and social values that were held in totality by those within a society. Although he considered himself an atheist, Durkheim saw religion as an essential aspect of the social system, in that it provided cohesiveness, social restraint, and meaning, as well as an additional source of relationships and communication and means for people to affirm their social norms.

When Durkheim attempted to make society the origin of religion, rather than religion the origin of society, he made himself into a controversial figure. Like Karl Marx, he argued that religion was a reflection of society. Durkheim actually saw God as society itself. Through establishing this connection, he demonstrated how religion had the ability to be a stabilizing force in society and bring together a sense of unity and identity between community members.

Durkheim's opponents state that he generalized from a single case and made the unreasonable assumption that any existing society can represent a type of primitive man. This controversy persists to this day. Social scientists continue to ask the same questions that Durkheim asked a century ago, such as what impact does modern society have on an individual's conduct in life and what meaning can a person find in modern-day culture? The interrelationship of religion and society is more of interest and imperative today than ever. In parts of the world as the Middle East, for example, it is necessary to study and understand the connection between society and religion

In the early 1960s, individuals such as Luckmann became concerned about the status of the sociology of religion, which was quickly losing its status as a field of study: He noted: "Scrutinizing the sociology of religion today, one can hardly avoid the impression that it has maneuvered itself into a position from which it has little to contribute to our questions." Compared with Durkheim's view of religion's importance of understanding society, the 20th century sociology of religion appeared "trivial." In addition, social theory tended to see religion as important for the anthropologists and the social historians, not sociologists.

Today, a decline in the study of the sociology of religion would be unfortunate given the major role that religion plays in modern society. In the United States, for good or bad, religion is an integral part of the political and socio-economic spheres. Candidates need to explain how they feel about issues, such as abortion or stem-cell research; vouchers for religious vs. public schools is a much-debated topic; gay marriages are both a social and religious controversy; George Bush's administration supports the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiative; and the Catholic Church is dealing with the all-encompassing problem of pedophilia. Durkheim noted that religion brings people together to give them support; it can also be the means to separate them.

Instead of losing its importance, sociology of religion should become more essential for study in sociology curriculum. It should be more than the anthropology and theology students who are asking such questions as, "What is the future of religion in society? Despite the growing complexity of society and the increase in stress and related emotional problems, why is there a decrease in formal religion attendance? Does modernity secularize as Durkheim noted? Can there be a complete break between "secularization" and "religiosity?" Where, how, and why can religion grow and survive in a highly technical world? What social forces and influences explain different religious outcomes? What impact does religion have in a country, as the United States, which is undergoing a major demographic change in cultures? What place does religion play in an increasing globalized world?

Apparently, however, Luckmann's concern for the study of sociology of religion is not coming to fruition. Over the past several years, reports Cnaan, "the sociological study of religion is witnessing an academic revival." Increasing numbers of social scientists recognize the need to include religious factors in their academic work.